


Like It's Our Last Chance

by Chromaflair



Series: We Keep Meeting Like This [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Falling In Love, Feelings, I Don't Know Where This Is Going, Making Love, Making Out, Post- Season 1, Soft Mando
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:54:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22120627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chromaflair/pseuds/Chromaflair
Summary: Every time Cara and Din meet, they know it might be for the last time. Should they make the most of it?
Relationships: Cara Dune & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Cara Dune/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Series: We Keep Meeting Like This [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592245
Comments: 10
Kudos: 157





	1. Is He Ugly?

**Author's Note:**

> This work builds off of Sometime. Maybe. I intended that to be a one-shot, but then more story came to me. I'm not sure how long this will end up being.

Greef Karga and Cara Dune sat at the small table in their living quarters. Greef was briefing Cara on the latest news from the Guild. One of their best bounty hunters has gone missing.

“No one’s heard from Karval for over a week, and his tracker has been offline.” Greef relayed to Cara. “Given the rumors of Moff Gideon’s return, I have to wonder if he’s behind this. Karval’s worked with Mando before, maybe he captured him for intel on Mando, or he’s paying him more than we are, it’s not like bounty hunters are known for being loyal. What do you think, Cara?” he looked up and noticed Cara was staring at the window, not even listening. “Dune! You there?”

“Um yeah, Karval. Uh…” Cara managed.

“You weren’t even listening to me.” Greef countered.

“Sorry, I was distracted. What about Karval?”

Greef leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. Cara hadn’t been herself and he wanted to know why. “You’ve been distracted a lot, ever since Mando and the Womp Rat were here. What’s going on?” 

“Nothing. I’m just worried about them. I know Din can take care of himself, but everyone’s after them, and they aren’t exactly inconspicuous. A Mandalorian and a green baby whatever-he-is, wanted by the Imperials...” Cara said, still looking distracted and far away.

“I feel like it’s more than that,” Greef replied. “That conversation you two had when he left seemed intense. And did you kiss him goodbye? On the helmet?”

Cara blushed now. “I didn’t know if I’d ever see them again.” She looked down at the table as she said it.

“Riiiight. I mean I’m not against you two getting together. But what if he's ugly or something?"

"He's not ugly." Cara said, and then quickly regretted it.

"Hold on!" Greef sat forward in his chair. "Did you see him?"

Cara thought fast. She couldn't admit that she saw Din's face, but she already said too much. Greef would know she was lying if she denied it. Better to tell him some of the truth. "He let me feel his face. Under the helmet. I could tell he's not ugly."

"Umm, what's that? Feel his face? Is that some sort of Mandalorian thing?" Greef was intrigued.

Cara gave a little laugh. "He took my hands in his, and placed them under his helmet. I felt his face." She held her hands up to her face, as if to illustrate what she did.

"Okay. I guess that's what you do if you can't see what the man looks like." Greef considered this for a minute. "So, are you in love with him or something?"

"I care about him," Cara sighed. "And the Kid. I'm in no position to be in love with anyone though. Maybe if things were different. Like if we weren't all being hunted by the Imperials." Cara was surprised at how open she was being.

"I hear you. Even without all this going on, this is a tough life. Being a mercenary, a bounty hunter, moving around, never staying on one planet very long." Greef looked off in the distance. Cara wondered if he was thinking about a missed opportunity in his own life. "But Mando? Could never get a read on that guy. He's not exactly an open book. I guess ladies like a man of mystery."

"Yeah. What can I say? There's something about him." Cara said with a little smile. "Okay, enough about me. What's this about Karval?"

Greef relayed the story about the missing hunter again. The two decided yes, Gideon is probably behind it somehow. They feared he might lure Mando and the Child into a trap. They needed to get a message to him before someone else found him.

"It's been awfully quiet around here. Too quiet if you ask me. I'm surprised no one's tried to make a move on us yet," Cara said.

"I'm sure we're being watched," Greef added. "Maybe we should get out of here for a while. But we need to make sure we're not followed."

"I bet if we put it out there that we're going to look for Karval, someone will give us a clue where he is. They probably want us to go after him, get us in the trap too," Cara stood up now, walking around as she thought out loud. "But we'll go somewhere else. Need to figure out a way to get word to Din though. He wouldn't tell me where he was going." Cara crossed her arms, feeling helpless.

Greef pulled a device out of his pocket. "Good thing I put a tracker on the ship. Let's see where he is."

The two went into town, asking around about Karval's whereabouts, letting it be known they were trying to find the missing hunter. Eventually, someone let it slip that he was on Ryloth. Greef and Cara made noises that they were heading to Ryloth to go after him, hoping that no one would actually follow them. They procured a small ship and headed off.


	2. Cloud City Punch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greef and Cara need to get a message to Din. Greef insists the two take a night off.

"So where is he?" Cara asked.

"Looks like he's headed to Coruscant. Not what I would have guessed. Maybe he's trying to get lost in a crowd?" Greef looked at the projection from his tracking device, double checking the results.

"Huh. Not what I would have thought either."

Since Mando had a head start, they had to make up some ground. Their ship was small and fast so they were fairly certain they could intercept him. Greef was at the controls when he noticed something on the tracker.

"What the... oh no. It looks like he's changing course," he said. "Maybe he ran into trouble? Wait, now it looks like... he's heading towards Ryloth! Karval or the Imps must have gotten to him!" Greef furiously worked the ship's controls, putting in new heading and recalulating their time to intercept the ship. "Okay, with his new course, we're actually not that far. Just need to be careful, as whoever got to Mando might spot us."

"He is smart. I don't think he would fall for their lies. I wonder what they told him to get him to change course?" Cara pondered. She was worried and began pacing the small ship.  
They finally neared the Razor's Crest. Greef turned on the communications system and hailed Din. "Mando! It's us! We need to talk to you in person. We're not too far from Coruscant, let's land there."

"We? Who’s with you? Where’s Cara?" the answer came.

"I’m here! It’s important" Cara spoke over the comm system.

The ships set for Coruscant. They found a place to land and Cara nearly ran over to Din's ship just as he was walking towards them.

"Din! Let's go inside the ship." Cara grabbed his arm and they walked quickly towards his ship. Greef followed behind, shaking his head at the thought of the two together.  
Greef and Cara got him caught up on the situation.

"So, that's why the message said Cara was on Ryloth," Din said. "A droid in a small craft intercepted me and gave me a message that Cara was being held on Ryloth. I had a run-in with some Twi'leks recently, so I thought it might be because of that."

Cara hated the thought of Din putting himself in danger because of her. "If you ever hear something like that again, don't answer it. It's probably fake. And if I have been captured, I can take care of myself. You need to keep the Kid safe. Don't endanger him or yourself because of me."

"I know you are more than capable," Din answered, moving closer to her. "I couldn't do nothing. I couldn't let someone hurt you." He took her hand. "I'm glad it was a false alarm and you are safe."

"Ahem," Greef interrupted. "Let's make some plans. Hey, why were you headed to Coruscant anyway? We figured it was to get lost in the crowd."

"That's part of it. I also wanted to consult the libraries here. Might have some information on the Kid's homeworld or his people."

"Well, since we're here, let's help you with that. We have some time before they realize we aren't going to Ryloth." Cara said. "First order of business is to get you to blend in. There's a lot of different folks here, but Mandalorian armor sticks out. The Kid looks less out of place," she bent down to the cradle he was sleeping in and gave his head a pat. "I have an idea. You stay here for a bit."

Cara walked out of the ship. Greef and Din both watched her leave. Neither said anything for a while, then Greef broke the silence. "So, you and Cara?"

If Greef could have seen under the helmet, he would have seen Din blush. "What did she tell you?"

"Not much. Just that she cares about you. And that she's certain you aren't ugly," Greef chuckled as he said this.

"I care about her too," Din said quietly.

Greef shook his head in an amused way. "You two would make the oddest couple, but it kind of makes sense.”

Cara returned soon. "Here, put this on." She handed Din a hooded cloak and some loose-fitting pants she picked up at the market. "At least the armor won't be so obvious and you can blend in with the crowd. Keep the hood up." She held up the other bag and gestured to it. "I got us some food too. Bread, cheese, and fruit. Hope the Kid will eat it. I didn't see any frogs."

The three ate, Din going below deck to eat his, and since it was getting late in the day, they decided to hit the libraries in the morning. Greef thought it would be a good idea to visit a cantina and see what information he could get out the patrons.

Cara looked over at the Kid, sitting on the floor playing with a small metal ball. “So, the Kid. Is he okay to stay on the ship while we go?”

“Uh, no.” Din answered. “I’ve learned my lesson. He’s not a very good listener yet. I tell him to stay put and he wanders off.” He gave an exasperated sigh. “I can’t even leave him in the locked chamber, or he’ll just do this,” Din waved his hand “and get himself out. We’ll have to take him with us.”

Cara pulled something else out of the shopping bag. “Fortunately, I got the Kid a disguise too.” She showed Din a fur wrap she bought. “Just put this around him and he’ll look like some sort of pet.” The Child looked up at Cara quizzically. “Can he understand me?” she said under her breath.

Din wrapped the fur around the Child and put him in the bag. He did look like a pet at first glance. “Be good, okay? No climbing out.” They headed out for the big cantina in town, hoping it would be full of travelers who might know some things.

Greef sat at the bar and struck up conversations easily with the cantina goers. Cara and Din sat at a table in the corner, keeping an eye out for anyone that looked like trouble. They weren’t sure whether or not they had been followed to the planet, or if there were any bounty hunters looking for them. At least Din did blend in better with the clothes Cara got him. Greef brought them both drinks.

“Cloud City Punch. Thought you might like it. And look Mando, it comes with a straw so you can drink it!” Greef took a sip of his drink.

“Thanks, Karga. But I need to stay sharp though, keep an eye out for hunters or Imps.” Din said.

“Oh relax. One drink won’t kill you, man. I didn’t bring you two here to work, leave that to me. Take a night off. You both have had a lot going on. Hell, I tried to have you killed, Mando. Twice. I get it now why you did what you did to protect the Kid. So, consider this my apology.” Greef got up from the table. “Enjoy your drinks!” he slapped the Mandalorian on the shoulder and gave Cara a wink as he went back to the bar.

“You heard the man,” Cara said, shrugging. “No one’s bought me a drink in a while. I’ll take some free punch.”

Somehow more Cloud City punch kept appearing at the table. Cara and Din talked about what’s been going on with both of them since they last met, loosening up as the drinks kept coming. Din got some food for them and kept the Kid occupied, feeding him bits of their food and giving him straws to play with. Greef stopped by to tell them that he met up with some people he used to work with and they might know something about the Child’s species. He was going to go back to their quarters with them and see what information he can get.

“We should get back to the ship,” Din said. “It’s getting late and we need to do our research tomorrow.”

“The Kid’s getting restless too. He can’t stay in the bag forever.” Cara replied. “Will you walk me to my ship, sir?” she asked as she got up from the table.

Din linked his arm with hers. “I would be honored.”


	3. How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din and Cara return to the ship after their night out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaah.... I'm having trouble deciding where things are going. Anyway, here comes the good stuff.

The pair walked back to the ship and then realized they needed to figure out sleeping arrangements. The Child ran around the ship playing as they tried to figure it out.

“You can sleep on my rack,” Din offered, referring to the bed he had below deck. “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No, I don’t want to put you out. I can sleep on the floor,” Cara retorted. “You have any blankets or anything I can use?”

“Yes, but I said I’m sleeping on the floor.” Din got the blankets out of the supply closet and spread them out on the floor. “You have the rack.” He took off the cloak and pants he was wearing over his armor. Then he stopped what he was doing and said, “This is going to sound awkward, but do you mind if I take my armor off? I think the punch is getting to me; it’s hot under this Beskar. I do have underclothes on.”

Cara could not suppress her laugh. “Aww too bad, I thought maybe you were naked under there,” she teased, even though she knew he wasn’t. “Yes, go ahead. Get comfortable.”

He wished he could take his helmet off too, his face felt flush under it. _Maybe it’s better that she can’t see me right now_ , he thought. He took off the armor, wondering how silly he looked in the tight black underclothes and his helmet.

Din said. “The Kid, let me go make sure he’s not tearing the ship apart. He needs to get to bed.” He went above deck to go check on the Child. After a few minutes he called to Cara, “Hey, I’m going to get him settled and I’ll be right down.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting!” she called back up to him playfully.

Cara took off the outer layer of her clothes, leaving her under shirt and leggings. She also took the opportunity to remove her bra. She slid the offending garment out the bottom of her shirt and tossed it under the rack. She sat on the bed cross-legged and waited for Din.

He came down a few minutes later with the cradle and put it in a locked chamber. He began to lie down on the blankets when Cara patted the bed next to her.

“Hey, come here. We don’t have to go to sleep just yet. Greef was right, we need to enjoy the night off.” Cara could see that he was hesitant. She thought maybe she was scaring him off. “Let’s just talk some more.”

Din tentatively sat next to her. “I’m scared, Cara. I’ve never been scared like this, not since I was a child. What if I can’t protect him? What if Gideon gets him and uses that - the hand-thing he does - for evil? Then everyone that died and sacrificed because of my choice will have been for nothing. You, Greef, Kuiil, the covert, hell even IG-11…” Cara moved closer to him, reaching for his hand. He took it and continued, “Sorry, we were supposed to be having fun.”

“It’s okay. I’m scared sometimes too. And I wonder what am I doing? Why did I get myself into this? But, I know I’m doing the right thing. I don’t have any doubts about that. I would be doubting myself if I walked away.”

“I’m glad you stuck with me and the Kid.” He gripped her hand tighter. “Even though the circumstances aren’t great, I’m also glad you’re here now. I didn’t know when I would see you again.”

“Well, here I am.” Cara put her head on his shoulder. “Wow, that punch really got to me,” she yawned. She shifted to lie down. Din started to get up, taking that as his cue to go to his makeshift bed on the floor. “I don’t want you to leave. Can you just, stay for a bit?”

“If you want me to. Here, let me turn the lights out first.” Din got up and switched the lights off. It was pitch black in the room now. Cara rearranged herself on the bed and Din laid down next to her. She moved down to rest her head on his chest, his arm behind her.

“Do you ever wonder,” she started, “If things were different, could we…”

“Yes, many times,” he said softly. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“Same. I mean, I’ve run across a couple Mandalorians in my time, but none like you.”

The two laid in silence for a bit, then Din broke it. “Cara? How many fingers am I holding up?”

She sat up a bit at the strange question. “What? I don’t know, it’s dark. Is this a joke?”

“Perfect,” Din answered. Then he sat up. “Hang on a second. I have to do something.” Cara thought maybe he was going to the vac. But then she heard a hiss and a click.

“Did you…”

“Yes. You can’t see me, right? This is serious.” Din said in a low tone. His voice sounded different, confirming he removed the helmet.

“No, I can’t.” Cara was stunned at what was happening. “Is this…allowed? I don’t want you to break your oath.”

“No living thing can see my face. And you can’t see my face. So, it’s good.” Din felt relieved to have the helmet off, and he was feeling strangely emboldened about what he was doing. Maybe it was the punch. He went back to his position on the bed next to Cara.

“I like hearing your voice without the helmet,” she said.

“I like hearing yours too. It sounds different than when I have the helmet on,” Din replied, pulling her closer. “You know, every time I see you, it could be the last time. We should make the most of it.” Din stroked her hair as he talked.

“Do you have something in mind?” Cara asked, not completely sure where he was going with this.

“I do. I want to kiss you.” He tilted his head towards her. “May I?”

Cara answered by leaning in and kissing him herself. She was surprised at how soft his lips were. At first the kiss was tentative, but soon their lips parted and the kiss grew more intense. Cara slipped her tongue into his mouth, and Din responded with his own tongue. She felt like a bolt of lightning was surging through the core of her body. They both paused for a moment to take in what just happened.


	4. First Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cara and Din get closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure if this should happen yet, but it seemed to flow.

“What are we doing?” Cara asked both Din and herself. When she started to feel herself fall for someone, that was her cue to leave. Maybe that’s why she stayed behind on Nevarro when he asked her to come with him. She didn’t want to depend on anyone and couldn’t afford to let herself be vulnerable. She had learned that the only thing she could count on her life was herself. People, planets… they can disappear. Sex was for fun, a diversion. She let the men she had been with know that this was a no-strings-attached thing. This had strings attached though. Part of her was afraid of her feelings and wanted to run. She didn’t know how she had let herself get this deep. Cara remembered the pang of jealousy she felt after they saved the village and the widow Omera clearly wanted Din to stay. She didn’t understand it at the time, she barely knew him, but she wanted him to want her like that. Omera made sense though, a home, a place to settle down, a mother for the Kid. Then that day came when Cara nearly lost him. Seeing him lying almost helpless on the ground, head bleeding, prepared to die - her heart felt like it fell into her stomach. She cared for him. She needed him. And now she’s here, kissing him, wanting him.

Din interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t know what we’re doing, but it feels right.” He let out a sigh. “Not sure if you could tell, but I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

“You haven’t?” Cara liked the idea of being his first kiss.

“The whole helmet thing,” he said “it makes kissing a little difficult.”

Cara was curious now. “But have you… you know.”

Din cleared his throat. He felt a little embarrassed for some reason. “Yes.”

Cara considered this for a moment, tried to imagine sex while wearing a helmet.

Din didn’t want to dwell on it. He was happy to be lying next to Cara, without his armor and helmet. Din put a hand on the back of her head and entwined his fingers in her dark hair. He pulled her in for another kiss and Cara didn’t hesitate. He ran his other hand along her muscular bicep. Cara felt a little self-conscious suddenly. She had been with men who were intimidated by her strength and physique. Din broke the kiss momentarily to shift himself partially on her.

“I want to kiss you forever,” he murmured in her ear, punctuating it with a kiss on the neck. A hand ran along her side, feeling the muscles of her abs, then moved down to her thigh.He could feel the scars on her battle-tested body, like a story on her skin. “You’re so strong. I love your body.” He said in between kisses. “And you’re beautiful.” Cara felt a glow in her heart when he said that. She kissed him deeply, moving her hands along his body as well. He was muscular as well, but with a lean frame. She pulled at the hem of the undershirt to slip her hand underneath. Din sat up a bit to tug the shirt completely off. He resumed kissing her neck, then moved down to her collarbone, his hand moving under her top, along her muscles of her abdomen, and up to her breasts. He paused a moment. “No bra?” he said bemusedly.

“I took the liberty of getting rid of that while you were above deck.”

“Mmm thank you,” he said, moving himself down a bit. He pulled up her top as he ran his tongue up from her middle towards her breasts. Cara sat up to help him take the shirt off. He began to lick at her nipples. His mouth felt electric on her. She had never wanted someone so much before. She could feel his desire, hot against her thigh.

Din moved back up to kiss her mouth, caressing her breast as he placed a lingering kiss on her. “Do you think this is moving too fast?” he said breathlessly. “We can slow down.”  
Truthfully, it was moving fast, but slowing down is the last thing she wanted. Cara wanted him from the moment their lips touched. “It is, but this might be our last chance, remember? Even if it wasn’t, I want you more than anything.” She started pulling at the waist of his pants, moving them down over his hips. He pulled the pants off the rest of the way as Cara took care of removing her own. Din moved in between her legs, running his hands along her thighs. Cara ached to have him inside her.

Din had never done this before. Yes, he had been with other women, but this was new in a few different ways. His previous encounters were to fulfill a need, to relieve the tension in his body. Not because he wanted to be close with that particular person or that she wanted to be close with him either. He had also never been completely naked with anyone. There was the issue of the helmet, of course. He could not let himself be vulnerable and exposed. He had to stay on guard in case of a threat, or if the liaison was a setup to ambush him (which unfortunately, had happened). He removed the minimum amount of armor and clothing to get the job done. He liked the feeling of being free with Cara, not having to scan the room constantly for threats, of feeling her skin on his, being able to kiss her all over. Then an urge to kiss her somewhere else came over him.

“I need to do something first.” _What could he possibly need to do?_ she thought. “I have to know what you taste like. Please.” He kissed the inside of her thigh, then ran his tongue up to what he desired.

His tongue felt hot on her as he began to explore. Cara let out a loud moan. He continued, taking the sound as approval for what he was doing. He used her sighs and moans as guidance, licking and sucking in response to her. She began to move in a rhythm, “Mmmm… yes… that’s it…” she said as her breathing became faster. The sounds of her approval made him grow even harder.

“You taste amazing,” Din sighed in between licks. Cara moved faster, then put a hand in the wavy hair at the back of his head. She pushed him into her as she began to climax. She wished she could see him in between her legs, pleasing her.

He kissed his way back up her body. Cara breathlessly let out “You… you’re a quick learner.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” he said softly, kissing her earlobe.

“I need you. Now.” she said insistently. Cara moved to her side, putting her hand on Din’s chest, pushing him onto his back. She then positioned herself on top him, both hands on his shoulders, holding him down.He liked the feeling of her taking control. It reminded Din of their first meeting when she wrestled him to the ground. She gave him a kiss, and then straddled his hips, guiding him inside of her. Cara involuntarily let out a cry of pleasure at the feeling of him finally in her.

Din also moaned at the sensation. She felt hot and wet around him. He put his hands on her hips, gripping his fingers into her firm butt.Cara moved slowly at first, then steadily faster. He wished he could see her riding him. He moved his hands along her sides, feeling her skin getting damp. She began to tighten around him, and Din didn’t know how much longer he would last. Cara called his name as she started to pulse. Feeling her orgasm and hearing her moan his name was too much. He came hard inside of her. It felt like his body was on fire.

Cara collapsed on top of him, kissing him breathlessly. He wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let go.

Later in the quiet of the night, Cara lay beside him, her body pressed up against his back, her hand caressing his chest. It was just like she imagined that day she saw him sleeping. She could feel his breathing falling into a sleepy pattern. 

As she was drifting off herself, she heard him say, “I love you, Carasynthia Dune.” 

She surprised herself by not even hesitating to answer. “I love you too, Din Djarin.”


	5. The Next Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning afters are awkward. The gang learn some info about the Kid. Plans go awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The show has not been clear as to what Cara, Din, and Greef know about Jedis/The Force/etc. I am just going with what makes sense in my story. I know there's been a lot of debate on why don't they recognize that Baby Yoda is using the Force. In my headcanon, they do know about it, but they don't realize *that's* what the Force is. Din should know about the Jedi being raised as a Mandalorian. What his feelings are going to be about them, I don't know.

Cara woke up the next morning, unsurprised to see the bed vacant. She figured Din would be up first, but she was kind of hoping to at least see the back of his head. She did love those dark curls at the base of his neck. She looked around to make sure the Kid wasn’t lurking, and went to the shower.

After she was clean and dressed, she made her way up the ladder and heard Din and Greef talking. She was relieved in a way that Greef was there; it would save her from the awkwardness of the morning after. _Were they a couple now? Should she greet him with a peck on the cheek (helmet)? Did he mean what he said?_

“Wait, you slept here? Not on our ship? Does that mean...” Greef questioned.

“I didn’t want her to be by herself,” Din offered.

“Mmmmm hmmm,” Greef looked between the two.

“Good morning, Cara. I hope you slept well,” Din said. She could tell he was feeling unsure too.

“I did, thank you,” Cara managed. She quickly poured herself a cup of caf in order to give herself something to do.

Greef looked at each her as if to say _since when do you say ‘I did, thank you.’?_ Cara gave him a look that said _‘it’s none of your business.’_

The Child was playing with a bucket of tadpoles that Greef had brought for him. Cara wasn’t sure if they were supposed to be a pet or food. Or both. They were keeping him amused though.

Din turned to Cara, “Greef learned some information about the Kid’s species. It’s a place to start. I’m hoping we can find out more at the library.”

“One of the guys I met yesterday, I used to work with him back when we were new with the Guild. He had previously worked security here on Courscant. One of the places he guarded was the Jedi Temple.”

“The Jedi? They were real?” Cara asked.

“Of course they were real,” Din said. “Mandalorians and the Jedi have a bad history.”

“Well,” Greef continued, “this guy saw a Jedi that looked like the Kid, except he was old. Maybe that’s how come he can do all that hand-waving stuff, he has the Force.”

Cara had a puzzled look on her face. “So, he’s a baby Jedi?”

“Not necessarily,” Din replied. “There’s others with the Force too, the Sith. You don’t become a Jedi - or a Sith for that matter - until you’ve been trained. Right now, he’s just a being with the Force, possibly, which would explain why Gideon wants him. It can be very powerful.”

“Did you learn anything else?” Cara asked.

“Not a whole lot. Just some bad news. The reason we were even on this topic is that there’s a holo of the Kid going around. Good thing Cara got that fur, he needs to be kept out of sight.”

“Well, it’s a place to start. We can research the Jedi Council, see if we run across this old guy. Maybe we can learn what their homeworld is,” Din said.

Greef clapped his hands together. “Okay, off to the library then. Good thing the largest one in the galaxy isn’t too far away. Mando, better put that cloak on too, your Beskar is pretty shiny.”

They got ready, Din wrapped the Kid in the fur and put him in the bag, with much protesting from the Kid. They took a droid ferry to the library. Din was slowly getting used to allowing droids around him. He noticed that Cara arranged it so when they piled in the vehicle, Greef was in the middle. Is she avoiding him? She stared out the window the whole ride.

The three arrived at the library and decided to each tackle a different subject. Din researched the Jedi, Greef the Force, and Cara rare species. Cara was thankful for the breathing room. She needed to be alone for a little while. 

Cara was engrossed in _The Inhabitants of the Outer Rim_ when she glanced up at spotted Din at a table across the room. He had his gloves off so he could turn the pages of the book he was reading. He was idly drumming his fingers on the table with one hand. Cara watched his fingers, thinking about them trailing along the contours of her body. She was practically hypnotized by them when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blur dart out next to Din. _Dammit, the Kid got out of the bag!_ She bolted up as quickly and inconspicuously as possible to go wrangle the little escape artist. Thankfully, she managed to grab him as he was climbing up the shelves.

“Ahem,” she walked up to Din. “You lost something?” she produced the Child, minus his fur wrap. He left that in the bag.

“You! No! I know you don’t like it, but you need to stay in here. And keep your fur on. People are trying to find you and hurt you.” Din then gave the Kid a dried fish treat. “Thank you. He had gotten quiet, so I thought he was asleep. I’ll need to figure out something else besides the bag.”

“Sure, I’m glad I caught him,” Cara answered, glancing down at his fingers again. What is wrong with me? I’m getting all hot and bothered at the sight of his hands? I guess that’s what happens when you can’t see the rest of him.

“How’s your research going?” Din asked.

“Ah, okay I guess. Can’t really find out a whole lot though. What about you?” Cara tried to act normal.

“Unfortunately, there are no pictures in the books. So, I’m trying to figure out which one he is based on the information given. They don’t list all the Jedi council members, that would be too easy. “ Din looked up for a minute and saw Cara with an odd expression on her face. “Is everything alright? If you’re not up for this, you could go back to the ship.”

“No, it’s just... “ Cara started, “I...uhhh. I’m okay.” She was certain he was looking into her eyes. “I guess I’ll go back to my book. Keep an eye on the Kid.” she said as she walked back to her table. She had to get back before she grabbed him by those strong hands, took him to a dark closet and ripped the helmet off of him. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair, feel his lips on hers...maybe she should go back to the ship and take a cold shower.

Din made sure the Kid was secure in the bag before he turned back to his book. _Does she regret what happened? Why is she acting like this? Maybe we did move too fast._ He couldn’t concentrate on the book right now. He picked up the bag and crossed the room to her.

 _Oh, now he’s walking. How does he walk so sexy?_ Cara tried in vain to read the words in front of her. He was now right in front of her, gloveless hands on the table as he leaned forward.

“Cara? What’s going on? Do you feel like it was a mistake?” He asked.

“No! That’s not it at all,” she began. “I just… well, I want to throw you on this table - lights out, of course - but part of me is wondering, what am I doing? As if life isn’t complicated enough?” she sighed, “I’ve always been on my own, you know?”

Din nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I’ve almost always worked by myself, didn’t need any complications. But, I’m a clan of two now,” he looked over at the bag, where the Child was now actually sleeping, “and somehow, I was lucky enough to find you too.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “I don’t know how this will work, but it will, somehow.” Din caressed her hand, then said quietly, “I meant what I said last night.”

Cara suddenly felt like she was blushing. She said in a voice barely above a whisper. “So did I.” The desire to kiss him was intense. They sat in silence for a moment, until they both realized they were sitting in a library for a reason. Cara glanced back down at her book.

“Yeah, we better get back to work,” Din said, as he opened his book. “Maybe we can find a dark room later.” Cara could not suppress her nervous giggle at the unexpected come-on.

They both poured over their books, Cara still glancing at Din’s gloveless hands occasionally. Suddenly, Din looked up from his book and turned it around so Cara could read it. 

“Look at this entry,” he pointed about halfway down the page, “doesn’t this sound like the Kid? This is probably the Jedi Greef’s friend saw.”

Cara read over the paragraph describing Grand Master Yoda. It did indeed sound like this Yoda could be the same species as the Kid. Too bad he’s in exile. Then she saw small print at the end of the paragraph “see also, Yaddle”. She turned to the entry for Jedi Master Yaddle, whose whereabouts were also unknown.

“Did you see there was another one? A female? Maybe those are the Kid’s parents?” Cara asked excitedly. “Too bad their whereabouts are unknown after the destruction of the Jedi. Who knows if they are still alive.” her voice quieted.

“I didn’t see that,” he answered, turning the book back around. “Yaddle. Huh. Maybe we should name him something starting with a ‘Y’.”

Cara turned back to her book and sighed. “There are so many planets! We’ll never find which one they are from. Maybe we should concentrate on researching the Jedi. If we can find people who knew the Jedi, they might know something about them.”

Just then, they both saw Greef walking over to them. “Any luck? I’m reading about the Force, but I feel like I don’t know any more than I when I started. It does say it can run in families, and some species are more sensitive than others. And there’s something called midichlorians Force sensitive beings have in their blood.”

“Maybe that’s what that doctor was doing with him when I got him back - trying to test his blood, or do experiments with it,” Din was repulsed at the thought. “We found out there was also a female Jedi of that species. Still no idea what planet he might be from. I think the best I can do right now is try to find a Jedi.”

The Kid started getting restless, so they decided it was time to head back to the Razor Crest and come up with a plan. Back at the ship, they went over all the information they gathered. 

“You know,” Greef offered, “in this line of work, I’ve come in contact with a lot of smugglers over the years. Perhaps the Jedi who survived the slaughter needed a smuggler’s help to get somewhere safe. I can start asking around.”

“I’m still a bit uneasy about the Jedi. I hope if he does have Jedi family, they don’t hate Mandalorians,” Din said.

“What happened with the Jedi and the Mandalorians?” Cara asked. “I’m still surprised that they actually existed. We didn’t hear much about them on Alderaan.”

“It’s a long story, and it was a long time ago. But I know some Mandalorians still harbor bad feelings about Jedi.” Din was interrupted by a holocomm coming through on Greef’s communicator.

“Karval?” Greef said as the figure came into view.

“Karga! Dune! It’s a trap, don’t come to Ryloth! The imps are looking for Mando. They will do anything to get that, that whatever-it-is he has. They offered me a huge sum of credits to bring him in, and a decent sum for you two. I can’t do it though. You’ve always been fair to me, Karga. And Mando, well every time I worked with him, he never hesitated to collect and turn in the asset. I know if he’s refusing to turn this one in, he must have a good reason. I’m finding some place to get lost. I suggest you do the same.” the holocomm shut off.

“Fark.” Greef said glumly. “I guess we’re not going back to Nevarro. So, do we stick together? Split up?”

Cara smiled to herself at the idea of sticking together. “Well, we could sell that ship and at least have some credits to get us by for a while.”

“Yeah, maybe we could disguise ourselves as some kind of weird family,” Greef chuckled. “Hey Mando, can I pass as your dad? Guess you’re my grandson now, Whomp Rat.” he looked at the Kid stuffing a tadpole in his mouth.

“It probably would be better if we travel together,” Din answered, also happy for the excuse to have Cara stay with him, even with the threat of imminent danger looming.

Cara stood up and turned to Greef, “Well, let’s go get our things off the ship and bring them over here.” She started to head to the door of the Razor Crest when Din suddenly called her over.

“I, um, need you to help me with something below deck first,” he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the ladder. Greef shook his head.

“That was smooth,” Cara said once they were safely below. “What do you want?”

“Come here,” he was still holding on to her hand. He pulled her into the locked chamber and closed the door. It was dark. Cara heard the familiar hiss and click. Then she felt his lips on hers. She couldn’t help but kiss him back. She ran her fingers through his wavy hair, just as she had been longing to do all day. The kiss seemed to both last an eternity and be over too quickly.

“Just in case it’s the last time I see you,” Din said as they both caught their breath.

“I’ll be back soon, we’re just getting our stuff from the other ship. In fact, now that we’ll be traveling together, no need to worry about that last time stuff anymore.” Cara said.  
“Well, it’s a good excuse to kiss you,” Din said, starting in for another kiss.

After another over-too-soon kiss, Cara said “Greef’s going to be suspicious. I better get going,”

“Okay, I’ll be here, figuring out how we find dark corners with him aboard the ship.” Cara heard the clink of the helmet going back on and they both exited the room.  
“Let me guess what he needed ‘help’ with,” Greef teased her.Cara rolled her eyes. They left the ship and started walking towards theirs. 

They were a few hundred meters from their ship when Cara put her arm up, signaling Greef to stop. She heard something suspicious. The pair stood still behind a tree, blasters ready.

“Stormtroopers!” Greef whisper-shouted to Cara. There were at least five of them heading towards the Razor Crest. “We gotta warn Mando.”

Cara pushed a button on her communicator and quietly said into it “Din! Stormtroopers are heading your way! You need to get out of here!”

“I’m not leaving you! I’ll get rid of them,” he answered.

Cara sighed. She knew he would say something like that. “No! Just go! Think about the Kid.”

“I’m gonna draw them away, give Mando time to get out,” Greef said.

“I said I’m not leaving. I can deal with a few Stormtroopers.”

“We’ll try to get rid of some for you,” Cara said.

Cara and Greef ran out from behind the tree and fired their blasters at the Stormtroopers. Just then they saw a TIE Fighter land. They took refuge behind a tree again.

“Din! Go! TIE Fighter just showed up!”

Greef motioned to her to get going. “Cara we gotta get out of here! We can make it to the ship.” 

“I’ve got an idea,” Cara said. She took the bag she had, bundled it up, grabbed some green leaves from the tree, and stuck them in the top of the bundle. She showed it to Greef, who nodded. “Okay, let’s make a run for it.”

They ran, shooting their blasters. “We got you covered Mando!” Greef shouted into his communicator. “GO!”

“Please! I love you!” Cara yelled as she ran and fired.

They reached the ship. Greef hit the button and the door opened. They ran in, fortunately neither was hurt. Just in time too, as they saw Moff Gideon approaching. 

“Gideon is here. Go get lost! We’ll find you later,” Greef shouted.

Din knew he had no choice now. If he wanted to keep the Kid safe, he had to leave.”Okay,” he resigned. “I love you, Cara.”

“What about me, Mando?” Greef was at the controls, lifting the ship off. Cara laughed with tears in her eyes.

“You’re not so bad.” Din was at the controls of his ship, the Kid on his lap.

“Oh fark, he’s heading back to the fighter. We both gotta get into hyper drive. Opposite directions. Go!”

Cara buckled in her seat. “We’ll find you!” she said as they took off. “I hope this wasn’t the last time.”


End file.
